Apparatus for removing drill bits from oil wells



Jan. 13. 1925.

L. A. CRUTS APPARATUS FOR REMOVING DRILL BITS FROM OIL WELLS Filed Oct. 25, 1923 w M r m ,M w J1 m v u.

4 9 ,0 V6 ill. M

Patented J an. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES LESTER A. CRUTS, OF LONG-MONT, COLORADO.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING DRILL BITS FROM OIL WELLS.

Application filed October 25, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESTER A. Cnn'rs, citizen of the United States, residing at Longmont, in the county of Boulder and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Drill Bits from Oil ells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates'to certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for removing drill bits from oil wells and has particular reference to a device of this kind by means of which drill bits may be removed from the shafts of oil wells, should such bits become detached from the drill cables when the wells are being drilled.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the above kind which will be durable and simple in construction and eflicient in operation.

A further object is to provide a drill bit removing device of the above kind, embodying a lifting element in the form of an electromagnet, with means for raising and lowering the same in the shaft of the oil well and for supplying current to said electromagnet while being raised.

Still another object of the invention is to provide for winding of the conductors when the electromagnet is being raised, so that the same will not become damaged or tangled in the operation of the device, the conductors being employed for supplying the current to the electromagnet.

Other objects will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing, and claimed.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the two views:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevational view, showing a. drill bit removing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, and operatively related to a. well shaft, with the electromagnet in partly lowered position and disposed above the drill bit which is to be removed, and

Figure 2 is a top plan view drawn on a larger scale and illustrating details of the electric conductor winding mechanism.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates the shaft of an oil well that is Serial No. 670,733.

in the course of being drilled, and in the lower end of which a drill bit 6 has become lodged and detached from the cable of the drilling apparatus. Obviously, before the drilling operation may proceed, the drill bit must be removed and the removal of such drill bit has heretofore been the source of considerable expenditure of time, and manual labor.

The present invention which consists in the provision of means for effectively removing drill bits when detached from the drilling cables in this manner embodying a winding drum 7 suitably mounted adjacent "the well shaft 5, and having one end of a cable 8 attached thereto, the other end of said cable having an electromagnet 9 secured to the same, which electromagnet is preferably of cylindrical form and of such size as to be conveniently lowered when in the well shaft 5 as clearly shown. The winding drum may be mounted upon the standard 10 fixed upon a suitable supporting base 11, which also is provided with an upright 12 which projects upon a drum 7 and has a guide pulley 13 journalled upon the upper end thereof and about which the cable 8 passes, said cable passing upwardly from the drum T and over the pulley 13 and then directly downwardly into the well shaft 5 when the electromagnet is lowered into said well shaft as shown.

The electromagnet is of suitable construction en'ibodying a core 14 exposed at the free outer or lower end of the electromagnet and surrounded by a coilof suitable construction, so that when the magnet is lowered into contact with the upper end of the drill bit 6 and energized, said drill bit will be drawn toward the core of the magnet and held thereby for being raised out of the well shaft 5 or by winding of the cable 8 upon the drum 7.

The conductors 15 and 16 for supplying the current to the electromagnet 9 are of suflicient lengthto permit lowering of the electromagnet into the well shaft for the required distance, and the upper ends of these conductors 15 and 16 are respectively attached to metallic winding spools 17 and 18 respectively, that are suitably insulated from each other and preferably mounted upon a vertical shaft 19 ournalled in the suitable mounting or sleeve 20 positioned adjacent the well shaft. One flange of each of the winding spools l7 and 18 forms a rotatable element of a split ring device by means of which the current may be continuously sup- .plied to one of the conductors l5 and returned through the other. These particular flanges of the spools 17 and 18 are respectively engaged at their peripheries by means of resilient contacts or brush members 21 and 22 that are respectively connected with the feed and return wires 23 and 24 that extend to a suitable source of electricity. The source .of supply for the electricity may consist of a generator suitably operated and located within a shelter 25 near the well shaft, although any other source of electricity may be utilized.

The upper end of the shaft 19 upon which the spools 17 and 18 are secured has a pinion 26 secured thereon in mesh with another pinion 27 that is fixed upon a horizon tal shaft 28 journalled in the mounting or frame 20, and a hand crank 29 is secured upon one end of the shaft 28, whereby the spools 17 and 18 may be manually rotated.

A suitable guide pulley 30 may be mounted upon the base 11 around which the insulated conductor wires 15 extend in passing from the spools 17 and 18 to the electromagnet 9 when the latter is positioned in the well shaft, and obviously, any suitable means may be provided for driving the winding drum 7.

In operation, current is supplied to the electromagnet in any suitable manner, through one of the wires 23and 24;, and for illustration we will assume that the wire 23 is the feed wire. The current will then flow from the brush or contact 21 to the spool 17 and then through wire 15 into the coil of the electromagnet. The current then passes from thecoil of the electromagnet through wire 16, spool 18, contact or brush 22, and then back through the wire 24. When the circuit is thus established, the electromagnet is lowered into the well shaft 5 by'unwinding the cable 8 from the drum 7 and at the same time paying out the conductor wires 15Iand 16 from the winding spools 17 and 18. As soon as the electromagnet comes within attracting range of the. bit 6, the latter is drawn toward the core .14 and held thereby, after which the cable'8 is wound upon the drum 7 for raising the electromagnet and the bit held thereby. While the cable 8 is being wound upon the drum 7 an attendant may manually rotate the spools 17 and 18 by operation of the hand crank 29, so as to wind the conductors'lo and 18 on said spool and thereby prevent the same from becoming tangled or unduly damaged readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made without devention as claimed.

What I claim as new is: V

1. In an apparatusfor removing drill bits from oil wells, an electro-magnet adapted to be lowered into the well including a core exposed at the lower end of the magnet for parting from the spirit and scope of the inattracting and holding the bit when the' magnet is energized, feed wires for said electromagnet, w nding [spools for said wires, the wires being connected at one end to the spools and at the opposite end to the electro- V magnet, said spools being constructed of electricity conducting material, and means in associatlon'with the spools for rotating them simultaneously and additional means for supplying current to said spools.

2. In an apparatus for removing drill bits from oil well shafts when said bits become detached from the drilling table, an electromagnet adapted to be lowered into the well shaft and including a core exposed at the lower end of said magnet for holding said drill bits when the magnet is energized, feed wires for said magnet, electrically'insulated separate winding spools for said wires to take up slack when the magnet is raised, means for simultaneously rotating said spools said spools being of electro-conductive material, the upper ends of said feed wires being electrically connected thereto with the/lower ends of, said wires connected to said magnet, and means including brushes In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' LESTER A. ORUTS. 

